cancer cluster

[ kan-ser kluhs-ter ]

noun

1. the occurrence of a higher than expected number of cancer cases in a small, defined geographical area or population.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cancer cluster¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Texas health officials in 2019 identified a cancer cluster in Houston’s historically Black Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.

From Washington Times

Texas health officials in 2019 identified a cancer cluster in Houston’s historically Black Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.

From Seattle Times

For Xochitl, Theo, and Alisha, it’s about a cancer cluster in a refinery town; for Dwayne, it’s about eminent domain; for Michael, a “man camp” on or near the Fort Berthold reservation; and for Shawn, it’s about watching the world burn on Twitter.

From Slate

In towns across the country — whether a cancer cluster near a railroad facility in Houston, lead pipes in Chicago or water contamination in towns near military bases from California to New York — many are still experiencing the effects.

From Washington Post

In the late 1990s, a cancer cluster sprouted in Suva Elementary and Intermediate Schools in Bell Gardens that led to a legal settlement against a nearby chromer.

From Los Angeles Times